San Diego County Fire’s ‘Operation Collaboration,’ which has provided COVID-19 vaccination and testing throughout San Diego County, was presented with the San Marcos Inspiration, Leadership and Excellence (SMILE) Award by the San Marcos City Council at the Sept. 28 City Council meeting.

This important program was nominated by Councilmember Maria Nuñez for serving as a valuable community resource. Operation Collaboration has coordinated and staffed hundreds of events to vaccinate residents. With a focus on hard-to-reach populations, Operation Collaboration’s vaccination sites include long-term care facilities, homeless shelters, rural community sites, residential (homebound individuals) and underserved communities.

In early 2020, under the direction of San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency, Fire and EMS agencies across San Diego County came together to form Operation Collaboration. To date, the program has administered more than 61,000 vaccination doses and more than 89,000 COVID-19 tests.

"Under an unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic state of emergency, Operation Collaboration formed between Fire and EMS agencies to provide testing and vaccination across San Diego County to the most vulnerable residents," Nuñez said. "This preeminent emergency and disaster response team vaccinated thousands of hard-to-reach agricultural and other frontline essential workers, and homebound residents. Operation Collaboration cemented its place in history by administering lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines to thousands of City of San Marcos residents."

There are often community members who rise to the top – clearly reflecting this San Marcos ‘Spirit of Service.’ That’s why San Marcos City Council members initiated the Civic SMILE Award recognition program in March 2021.

Six times each year, a community member is chosen by a specific City Council member to receive recognition and will be presented with a San Marcos Inspiration, Leadership and Excellence (SMILE) Award during a City Council meeting.